Financing Your Education

WPI offers limited financial assistance to international (nonimmigrant) students. WPI does not guarantee to meet applicants' full financial need.

Financial assistance is only offered to international students who enter as freshman. No assistance is available to international transfer students. Financial assistance should be considered secondary to family, government, and other sponsor support for the student's studies.

Students must demonstrate a minimum family contribution of $17,200 to cover all living expenses, plus funds for travel expenses, to be considered for financial assistance. Students applying for financial aid must submit the International Student Financial Aid Application along with their application for admission. If applicants prefer to submit the CSS PROFILE instead of the International Student Financial Aid Application, WPI will accept it.

All international applicants who are not applying for financial aid must complete and submit the WPI certification of finances form along with their application for admission demonstrating their ability to pay the full cost of attendance. Those students applying for financial aid should submit only the International Student Financial Aid Application at the time of application.

Merit (Academic) Scholarships

WPI offers competitive academic merit scholarships to freshman applicants based on academic performance in high school, standardized test scores (including the TOEFL for international applicants), leadership, extracurricular involvement and community service. Valedictorians, salutatorians, and IB diploma graduates with a diploma score of 40 of greater admitted to WPI are guaranteed a partial academic merit scholarship. The amount of the scholarship will be determined by all of the previously noted factors. All applicants for admission are automatically considered for merit scholarships. No additional applications are required. These academic merit scholarships vary in amounts, but typically range between $12,500 and $25,000, and are renewable for four years. Students will be notified if selected for an award at the time they are admitted, or shortly thereafter.

International Scholarships

In addition to merit scholarships WPI offers a limited number of need-based scholarships to international students. Because WPI has limited funds available specifically for talented international students, only a portion of the admitted international students are awarded each year. The awards vary in amount, but typically range from $5,000 to $25,000. These awards are renewed each year, provided the student remains in good academic standing. WPI does not guarantee to meet applicants' full financial need.

The scholarships are based upon financial need, the student's academic profile, and any special talents or experiences that the student will bring to WPI. Because no award amounts are greater than the cost of tuition, families are expected to contribute a minimum of $17,200 for living expenses, plus travel expenses, to the total cost of attendance at WPI.

Because funding is limited, families who have the financial resources to fund the entire cost of attendance should not apply for financial aid. WPI maintains a need-aware admissions process for international (non-immigrant) applicants.

It is possible to receive an award that is a combination of a Merit Scholarship and a International Scholarship; however, WPI offers very few combined awards. It is important to note that combined awards never exceed the cost of tuition.

In order to apply for an International Scholarship, students must complete the International Student Financial Aid Application. The deadline for this application coincides with the deadline for the admissions application. WPI will not be accepting the new CSS PROFILE form for international students and financial aid applicants should plan to submit the International Student Financial Aid Application in order to be considered for aid.

Working on Campus

WPI allows international students to work part-time on campus. Positions are available in a variety of offices and services. Upon arrival to WPI, new students are encouraged to apply for positions directly. The application process for many positions in competitive, and new students are encouraged to apply directly upon arrival at WPI. New positions are listed through our Human Resources Web site through out the year.

While these positions can help students with their expenses, it is important to note that international students are limited in the hours per week that they can work. Students will typically earn $1,500 to $2,500 in an academic year.

Loan Programs

There may beseveral loan options available to international students through private education lenders. In most cases, the lender requires a U.S. citizen or permanent resident as a co-applicant and a processed I-20 form from the student. WPI has worked with Citibank through their Citiassist Loan Program to pre-approve their loans prior to the student obtaining the I-20 form. The pre-approval can then be used to obtain the I-20. Not all lenders offer this service. If you choose a lender other than Citiassist, it is best to contact the lender first to determine their loan process prior to applying for the loan.

Payment/Installment Plans

WPI offers an option for families to pay the WPI cost of attendance in monthly installments. Tuition Management Services provides an interest-free plan that allows families to make 12 payments to cover the cost of tuition, housing and meals.

Cooperative Education Program

WPI offers a cooperative education program (Co-op) for students, including non-citizens, in good academic standing. Co-op provides students with experience and career direction. Co-op makes students more aware of the day-to-day operations of industry and exposes students to professional standards and the methods used to accomplish objectives in a business environment. The professional skills students develop are one reason Co-op often leads to permanent employment after graduation. On average, WPI students earn an average of $15 per hour while on a Co-op assignment; an average total of $15,000 per Co-op assignment.

Students have the option of completing one or two Co-op assignments between the end of their sophomore year and beginning of their senior year. The assignment periods are January through August or May through December. The program has been designed for maximum flexibility so it can be responsive to each student's academic and financial needs.

A position is not guaranteed, but every effort is made to identify as many opportunities as possible so that all interested students can participate in the program. We currently place approximately 95% of interested students. For more information please visit the Career Development Center Web site.

Summer Internship Program

WPI's Summer Internship Program serves the students of WPI as they explore career options, gain world-of-work experience, earn income and contribute to society during the summer months. Students typically find positions in and around the Worcester/Boston area. Salaries can vary greatly. For more information please visit the Career Development Center Web site.

Other Options

Below is a list of resources and programs that may aid you in learning about additional grants, scholarships and loans.

NAFSA and Embark.com, provides an introduction to financial aid, a four-step guide to financial aid, and has a scholarship search engine. NAFSA: Association of International Educators, Financial Aid for Foreign Nationals Studying in the United States.

The Organization of American States, an international organization based in Washington, DC, offers, through the Rowe Fund program, interest-free loans to competent students from Latin American and Caribbean countries to help them finance their final two years of undergraduate studies.